The British monarchy bid a public and tearful farewell to their longest-serving monarch, as her coffin was lowered into the royal vault. Millions of her subjects watched the ceremony, which was also broadcasted for billions more people around the world. Elizabeth’s son, King Charles III, and other members of the royal family were in attendance. The queen will eventually be joined by her husband, Prince Philip, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. Buckingham Palace said that no further details will be released to the public due to it being a “deeply personal family occasion.”
The final service for Elizabeth marked the end of a grand chain of carefully choreographed ceremonies that began after she died. Though attendance was more private than the public funeral at Westminster Abbey earlier in the day, those in attendance witnessed a moment in history.
Tens of thousands of people lined the Mall in London to watch the procession that followed the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The farewell for the monarch also cemented the rule of its new one.
Her coffin was carried on a Royal Navy gun carriage from the funeral service to the Wellington Arch near Hyde Park. It was then transferred to a state hearse for the journey to Windsor.
Before the funeral service, Westminster Abbey’s tenor bell tolled 96 times, once for each year of Elizabeth’s life, before her coffin was carried inside for the state funeral.
Behind the casket followed her eldest son, Charles, who at age 73 is finally taking over as king.
The nation came to a standstill as they said goodbye to their queen. Elizabeth II was honored with a funeral service befitting of a monarch. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey and was full of tributes and hymns. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby recalled Elizabeth’s 21st birthday radio address in his sermon. He spoke of her vow to serve the British nation and Commonwealth, saying “Rarely has such a promise been so well-kept.” Toward the end of the ceremony, mourners gathered in the ancient edifice sang “God Save the King.” It was an emotional moment, as it was the first time this version had been heard there in 70 years. The service brought an end to the week-long series
